Shimano 7spd hubs and late life learning.

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Hi to all of you Cycleologists out there. I have just over-come an issue with limited selection of gear ratios and a shift from 7spd to 8spd - without changing the wheel.
What I am interested in knowing is - is it possible with early Campagnolo hubs? I.E. Individual sprockets with appropriate spacers.
I have recently rebuilt a Benotto Modelo 850 :- My latest acquisition - an as-yet unknown 52cm (20.5") Benotto.

Since building and fettling the bike I have wanted to explore the possibility of further improvements around the Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport rear dérailleur and the potential for alternative sprockets/cassettes/screw-ons.
With that in mind I resurrected a tidy old pair of wheels that had seen very little use :-
I have just utilised a rather tidy pair of Mavic 195 rims with Shimano Exage QR hubs and the rear hub is a 7spd.
It now has 8 individual sprockets on it as :- 12:13:15:17:19:21:23:25.
I really wanted to retain the Campagnolo Nuovo
This wheel-set is going to replace a brand new pair of Weinmann XR18's (bought new and specifically for the rebuild) but with a Miche 7spd screw-on as :- 13:15:17:19:21:23:25.
The main reason for this change is to use a 125mm axle instead of the 130mm axle needed for the 7spd screw-on. The bike was originally built with as a 6spd (very limited spread) but the 7spd gave a better selection and now the 8spd conversion has been a really worthwhile further improvement.
 

TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
Sorry, but I'm not sure what you're asking here.
If it's trying to fit more sprockets onto an old 8 speed Campag freehub, then it can't be done. The splines are different IIRC.
If you're talking freewheels, then yes, add spacers and redish the wheel. And cold set the frame if needed.
 
Sorry, but I'm not sure what you're asking here.
If it's trying to fit more sprockets onto an old 8 speed Campag freehub, then it can't be done. The splines are different IIRC.
If you're talking freewheels, then yes, add spacers and redish the wheel. And cold set the frame if needed.


Hi Doc. I actually was posting my recent findings after overcoming a limitation that was not as limited as I had first believed. Not everyone is totally Cycleology Savvy.
Indeed I am fast becoming aware that a fair few have probably given up the "Semi Professional Bodgery" and sent their efforts to the recycled metals bean can factory in China.
At the same time - yes I did wonder about the early Campagnolo cassette hubs,but it was the 7spd that I was interested in and whether they would take individual sprockets with the appropriate spacers (using thinner sprockets) as per the Shimano option that I have just employed to turn a 7spd into an 8spd but then using a 9spd chain.

That said I was aware that there are differences in Campagnolo hubs/splines and indeed just recently I have also realised that whilst Miche hubs are Campagnolo cassette compatible - the Campagnolo hub will not take a Miche Cassette - Lock-ring,it is a far larger thread diameter.
I am now looking for a Campagnolo lock ring with a thread diameter of 24.62mm because I have a brand new Miche 10spd cassette and a cracking pair of rims on Campagnolo small flanged hubs that I wish to marry-up for my soon to be rebuilt Steve Goff frame. The frame has been stripped and re-stove enamelled in a fabulous Polychromatic Blue courtesy of C&G Finishes,Liverpool.
 
Hi TD and to you all out there.
Well,I have successfully utilised the Shimano Exage 7spd Hyperglide hub with the matching front hub previously in Mavic 195 rims and have now got a 7spd hub with an 8spd individual sprockets set-up mounted onto it.
They have been rebuilt into new Ryde 700c rims,formerly Rigida. This 8spd set-up is running via my Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport rear dérailleur and my triple chain-ring set-up.
Everything works fine BUT I have been reminded as to why I first went to Campagnolo bar-end levers way back in the 60's having relentlessly endeavoured with down-tube mounted friction levers. That said I am now in the throws of marrying the front Campagnolo shifter and the Nuovo rear dérailleur to a pair of Mirage levers for a seamless and hands on the bars gear changing experience with a triple and eight.
 

RecordAceFromNew

Swinging Member
Location
West London
Hi TD and to you all out there.
Well,I have successfully utilised the Shimano Exage 7spd Hyperglide hub with the matching front hub previously in Mavic 195 rims and have now got a 7spd hub with an 8spd individual sprockets set-up mounted onto it.
They have been rebuilt into new Ryde 700c rims,formerly Rigida. This 8spd set-up is running via my Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport rear dérailleur and my triple chain-ring set-up.
Everything works fine BUT I have been reminded as to why I first went to Campagnolo bar-end levers way back in the 60's having relentlessly endeavoured with down-tube mounted friction levers. That said I am now in the throws of marrying the front Campagnolo shifter and the Nuovo rear dérailleur to a pair of Mirage levers for a seamless and hands on the bars gear changing experience with a triple and eight.

If you want quick info on shoehorning cassettes onto otherwise incompatible freehubs this may be useful to you. Of course under the right circumstance what doesn't fit may still be made to fit with appropriate surgery.

You can't marry a Mirage brifter to a nuovo gran sport rear mech and hope it will index properly. Am not sure exactly what the cable pull mismatch is, but if you have both you can easily measure both, and then see whether it is possible to make a shiftmate like mechanism to do the translation to ensure each click at the shifter delivers the correct traverse at the sprockets.
 
Hi RAFN. Thank you for your angle on my query BUT I am not actually trying to shoehorn a cassette onto free-hub,I have mounted 8 individual sprockets onto a 7spd Shimano Hyperglide hub. My sprockets are 12:13:15:17:19:21:23:25 with a 50:40:30 triple.

I am prepared to swap the Nuovo Gran Sport for an 8spd Athena or similar but would prefer to retain the "Old School" look at the rear.
The two sites that you guided me towards are very helpful,thank you but I was already aware of Highpath Engineering but the Shiftmate is a new one.
I am afraid I cannot quite see how the attachment/pulley can influence the pull on the cable for a corrected selection of sprockets,that is unless it effectively adds cable length but surely that can also be achieved by having a slightly longer outer cable therefore creating a bigger loop and therefore a smoother action.
 

RecordAceFromNew

Swinging Member
Location
West London
I am prepared to swap the Nuovo Gran Sport for an 8spd Athena or similar but would prefer to retain the "Old School" look at the rear.
The two sites that you guided me towards are very helpful,thank you but I was already aware of Highpath Engineering but the Shiftmate is a new one.
I am afraid I cannot quite see how the attachment/pulley can influence the pull on the cable for a corrected selection of sprockets,that is unless it effectively adds cable length but surely that can also be achieved by having a slightly longer outer cable therefore creating a bigger loop and therefore a smoother action.

As long as the Mirage is an 8 speed unit. Campag changed their cable pull after 8.

Shiftmate is essentially a pair of pulleys side by side of different diameter, so for a certain angle of rotation they deliver different cable pull. The same principle has been utilised by folks filing away or building up the barrel of downtube indexed shifters, and Hubbub. A longer gear cable housing won't work because it is incompressible otherwise it would be useless.

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